Divan bed



Jan. 20, 1942. J LL DIVANIBED Filed Dec. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

Jan. 20, 19 42.

J. D. BELL DIVAN BED Filed Dec. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIVANTBED Joseph 1). Bell, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 17, 1938, Serial No. 246,510

13 Claims The present invention relates to improvements in divan beds, and is a continuation in part of my copending applications, Serial Numbers 124,050, filed Feb. 4, 1937, which issued as Patent No. 2,248,603 on July 8, 1941; 202,480, filed April 16, 1938 and issued July 15, 1941 as Patent No. 2,249,266; and 210,888, filed May 31, 1938.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be readily converted from a divan into a bed and vice versa.

A further object of the invention is to provide a divan bed which, when used as a divan, provides a relatively low seat so as to permit the use of loose cushions for building it up to normal seating height, and which, when converted into a bed, raises the seat to bring it up to convenient bed height.

It is further proposed to provide suitable opcrating mechanism for the divan bed which al-' lows changes to be efiected with a minimum of efiort.

Another object of the present invention is to provide extension means for the divan bed which may be concealed under the seat when the device is used as a divan and which may be projected forward for increasing the length of the bed.

While the term divan is commonly used to signify a body rest of the sofa type, with room for two or three persons it should be understood that the principles of the present invention apply also to a single seat body rest, such as'a chair.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred forms of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred form of my divan bed, with upholstery omitted;

Figure 2, a perspective view of a modification of the form shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3, a side elevation, partly in section, of the form shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4, a perspective view showing the form shown in Figure 2 in divan position, and Figure 5, a side elevation, partly in section of the form shown in Figure 2, in chair position.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto without departing from the spirit of my invention.

bed I comprises a main frame consisting of two side pieces or arm rests 3, a rear member 4 and a front member 5, the latter being somewhat lower than the former and both cooperating with 1 the arm rests in forming a rectangular box 6.

It also comprises a movable mattress frame, which latter is made in two sections 8 and 9, and which will be referred to hereinafter as the back and seat sections, respectively, and having hinged connection at l0. The hinge is arranged to allow the two sections to assume a position of angularity as in Figures 1, 3 and 4 and to swing into positions of partial or full alinement, as in Figure 2.

The back section receives its principal support in two links I I, which are pivoted,- at their lower ends, to the side pieces 3, and at their upper ends, to the back section intermediate its height. When the back section is in upright position, as in Figure 4, the two links are also substantially upright and lean against the rear member 4 of the main frame. From this position they are able to move into a forward slanting position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

For guiding the lower portion of the back frame, I provide another pair of links l2, which are pivoted to the side pieces, as at l3, and to slotted brackets 14 disposed on the back frame near the hinge connection. These links are capable of swinging from a slightly inclined position to the substantially vertical position of Figures 1 and 3, and when in the latter position, form a prop for the center portion of the extended bed near the hinge.

To guide the seat upward during its forward movement, I provide shoes 32 which have slanting faces 33 riding on the front frame members 5 and thus lift the front section into alinement with the rear section as shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3. The shoes 32 may have a more decided cam angle near their points 34 to cause the seat to drop back on return movement with a certain locking action. The rear section of the shoe is flat as shown at 35 to rest on the member 5 when the bed is fully extended.

Figure 1 further shows an extension frame hinged to the forward edge of the seat section and provided with folding legs 46 at its front edge to support the latter when the extension is in alinement with the seat and back as shown in dotted lines.

When the seat is retracted, with the back in upright position, the extension 45 with its folding legs, may be swung underneath the seat for In the forms shown in the drawings the divan 1 accommodation-"within the box, the extension being then disposed between the shoes 32, which latter may be referred to as legs for supporting the seat in raised position.

Figures 2-4, inclusive, show, in different views, a bed-divan essentially similar to that of Figure 1, except that upholstery has been added to give a clearer understanding of the entire structure and that a few modifications have been introduced.

The extension 45 is hinged to the front edge of the seat frame, as at 55, with an offset which brings the extension rather higher in bed position and also allows of accommodation of the bottom frame 52 underneath the extension.

The bottom frame is more in the nature of a real bed frame, with two legs and a top member and bracing members, as illustrated,'and is hinged to the extension by means of two pairs of links 53 and 54 which allow the frame to be swung from a vertical, bed-supporting position to a horizontal position underneath the extension, as shown in Figure 3, so that both the bed frame and the extension may be swung underneath the seat section 9., v

The shoes shown in Figures 2 and 3 differ from the shoes 33 shown in Figure 1 insofar as a slight S-curve is imparted to the central portion 55 of the shoe, between the end portions 34 and 35 thereof. Careful experimentation with shoes of diiferent shapes have proven that a slight S-curve imparted to the intermediate portion of the shoe will effect a somewhat better balance for the whole divan during intermediate positions than a straight intermediate section.

It will be noted that the extension has a crossmember 60 Figure 2 at the free end thereof, which may be the front edge of the extension, and that the front wall 5 of the box has a rod or guide 6| Figure 3 projecting rearwardly therefrom in a downward slanting direction. This guide gives sliding support to the cross-member when the seat is lowered from the upright position of Figure 3 with the extension folded underneath the same. 7

In operation, beginning with the dotted line position of Figure 1, a person may swing the front edge of the seat upward on the hinge I0, swing thelegs 46 underneath the extension frame 45 and the latter underneath the seat and again lower the seat to allow the shoes or legs 32 ,to

come to rest on the front board. He may then' lift the rear overhang of the back frame section 8 which causes the links H to swing backward to a vertical position so as to lean against the back board 4, while the links l2 move backward to a rearward inclined position, and the shoes 32 ride downward on the front rail to alowered seat position. Rearward pressure on the back section 8, when in chair position, will bring about a reversal of the movement back to a position of,

horizontal alinement. Any desired change in angularity may be readily effected by a chair occupant by mere changes of weight distribution.

When an occupant, in chair position, presses against the upper end of the back for increasing the angle between back and seat, the seat moves forward, causing the shoe to ride upward on the front rail 5. This rising movement necessarily intensifies the friction between the shoes and the front rail and brings about a braking action which tends to give the occupant better control over the movements to be effected. The shoes and the front rail may be referred to properly as cooperating braking members.

I claim:

1. In a chair bed, a main frame having a bearing at its rear, a back section and a seat section hinged together and mounted thereon, the said back section having freedom of teetering motion about a point intermediate its height on the bearing and of moving the seat back and forth by the said teetering, a fixed member having an inclined face, and a second fixed member, one of the members on the seat and the other on the frame, the said members having a sliding movement between the same for raising the seat when the latter is pushed forward by the recliningof the back, the said inclined face having a wavy surface for creating a varying degree of resistance between it and the other fixed member for retarding forward movement of the seat as the back is reclined through various degrees for giving the occupant of the chair a variety of choice positions of rest, the said surface being concave near one end to increase the resistance as the back approaches a horizontal position.

2. In a divan bed, a frame box comprising side members, a front wall, and a rear wall higher than the front wall, a movable frame comprising aback section, a seat section and a single hinge directly connecting adjacent edges of the same substantially in the plane thereof, means for supporting the movable frame in the box in divan position comprising a pair of relatively short links having their lower ends pivoted to the frame box near the rear wall and slightly below the top thereof so as to lean against the rear wall in substantially upright position and to project above the latter by about half their length, and having their upper ends pivoted to the back section intermediate its height and slightly below its center of gravity so as to cause the upper end of the back section to overbalance the lower end, with the seat section tending to hold the back in upright position, means for supporting the seat section in seat position and means for raising the seat section during a forward movement thereof, whereby upon a tilting backward of the upper end of the back section the seat section is moved forward and raised and the back section is moved forward and lowered and comes to rest on the rear wall of the box, the seat raising means guiding the seat into horizontal alinement with the back resting on the rear wall of the box.

3. In a divan bed, a frame box comprising side members, a front wall, and a rear wall higher than the front wall, a movable frame comprising a back section, a seat section and a single hinge directly connecting adjacent edges of the same substantially in the plane thereof, means for supporting the movable frame in the box in divan position comprising a pair of relatively short links having their lower ends pivoted to the frame box near the rear wall and slightly below the top thereof so as to lean against the rear wall in substantially upright position and to project above the latter by about half their length, and having their upper ends pivoted to the back section intermediate its heightand slightly. below its center of gravity so as to cause the upper end of the back section to overbalance the lower end, with the seat section tending to hold the back in upright position, the front wall normally supporting the seat section in seat position, a shoe suspended from the seat section in operative relation to the front wall of the box and having an inclined face adapted to ride on the. said wall for raising the seat on a forward movethe back section is moved forward and lowered and comes to rest on the rear wall of the box, the inclined face of the shoe guiding the seat section into horizontal alinement with the back section resting on the rear wall of the box.

4. In a divan bed, a frame box comprising side members, a front wall, and a rear wall higher than the front wall, a movable frame comprising a back section, a seat section and a single hinge directly connecting adjacent edges of the same substantially in the plane thereof, means for supporting the movable frame in the box in divan position comprising a pair of relatively short links having their lower ends pivoted to the frame box near the rear wall and slightly below the top thereof so as to lean against the rear wall in substantially upright position and to project above the latter by about half their length, and having their upper ends pivoted to the back section intermediate its height and slightly below its center of gravity so as to cause the upper end of the back section to overbalance the lower end, with the seat section tending to hold the back in upright position, the front wall normally supporting the seat section inseat position, a shoe suspended from the seat section in operative relation to the front wall of the box and having an inclined face adapted to ride on the said wall for raising the seat on a forward movement of the latter, whereby upon a tilting backward of the upper end of the back section the seat section is moved forward and raised, and the back section is moved forward and lowered and comes to rest on the rear wall of the box, the inclined face of the shoe guiding the seat section into horizontal alinement with the back section resting on the rear wall of the box and the shoe having a relatively steep incline at its forward end for resisting initial forward movement of the seat and having a flat heel at its rear end for resting on the front wall at the end of the forward movement.

5. In a divan bed, a frame box comprising side members, a front wall and a rear wall higher than the front wall, a movable frame comprising a back section, a seat section and a single hinge directly connecting adjacent edges of the same substantially in the plane thereof, means for supporting the movable frame in the boxin divan position comprising a pair of relativel short links having their lower ends pivoted to the frame box near the rear wall and slightly below the top thereof so as to lean against the rear wall in substantially upright position and to project above the latter by about half their length, and having their upper ends pivoted to the back section intermediate its height and slightly below its center of gravity so as to cause the upper end of the back section to overbalance the lower end, with the seat section tending to hold the back in upright position, means for supporting the seat section in seat position, means for raising the seat during a forward movement thereof whereby a tilting backward of the upper end of the back section the seat section is moved forward and raised and the back section is moved forward and lowered and come to rest on the rear wall of the box, the seat raising means guiding the seat into horizontal alinement with the back resting on the rear wall of the box, a normally inactive support for the hinged connection and means actuated by the movement of the two sections toward alinement for moving the support into supporting relation to the hinged connection.

6. 'In a convertible chair, a main frame having a supporting bearing rearward of its center and substantially upward from its bottom plane, three bed sections, a rear section, a center section and a front section hinged together and adapted for housing within the bounds of said frame, the front section being positioned hinge outward in the bottom of the frame, the center section over the front section to conceal the latter and to form a seat for a chair, legs on the forward portion of the seat and projecting downwardly therefrom in straddling relation to the front section, the rear section being positioned vertically upward from the rear of the seat section to form a back for the chair, the latter being supported on the said bearing and being operable thereon to advance the center section and the front section, the leg being operable by the advance for lifting the front edge of the center section and for positioning the latter for better accessibility for extending operations, the hinge between the sections being operable for the said sections to be swung into alinement with each other and the legs supporting the seat section in extended position.

'7. In a tiltable back rest, a supporting base having a rear wall, a link having its lower end pivoted in the base near the rear wall so as to normally lean against the latter, a back rest, a pivotal connection between the upper end of the link and an intermediate portion of the back rest whereby the latter may be tilted from upright to horizontal position while the link swings forward, the rear wall serving as a stop to pre-' vent tilting of the back beyond horizontal position, and a link connecting the lower end of the upright back with a forward portion of the supporting base, the said last mentioned link being positioned and proportioned to reach a vertical supporting position for the bottom end of the back rest when the latter comes to rest on th rear wall. i

8. In a tiltable back rest, a supporting bas having a rear wall, a link having its lower end pivoted in the base near the rear wall so as to normally lean against the latter, a back rest, a pivotal connection between the upper end of the link and an intermediate portion of the back rest, whereby the back rest may be tilted from upright to horizontal position while the link swings forward, the rear wall serving as a stop to prevent tilting of the back beyond horizontal .position, a link connecting the lower end of the upright back with a forward portion of the supporting base, the said last-mentioned link being positioned and proportioned to reach a vertical supporting position for the bottom end of the back when the latter comes to rest on the rear wall, a seat having its rear edge hinged to the bottom end of the back rest so as to move forward and upward therewith, and means for simultaneously raising the front edge of the seat, the latter means causing the front edge of the seat to reach a position of maximum height when the back comes to rest on the rear wall and the link reaches a vertical position.

9. In a chair bed, a main frame, a back sec tion and a seat section hinged together and mounted on the frame in horizontal alinement, the seat section being raised above its normal height and having a substantial portion projecting beyond the frame for ease of accessibility, an extension hinged to the front edge of the seat and swingable between positions underneath the seat and in front of the seat, the seat being swingable on its hinge to enlarge the space for operating the extension, and a support for the latter hinge, the said support being independent of seat movements so as to hold the hinge against downward collapse while the seat is swung upward on the hinge.

10. In a convertible bed, a main frame, two sections, one a back section and the other a seat section, normally positioned in L-shape on said frame, a hinged connection between the two sections, a bearing on the frame on which the back is tiltably supported, the hinged connection being operable for tilting the back to a substantially horizontal position, and thereby substantially elevating the rear of the seat when the front edge of the seat is pulled forward, the front of said seat having freedom of being swung substantially upward on the hinged connection above the plane of the horizontally positioned back to give access to the space underneath the seat, and means on the main frame for supporting the front of said seat above its normal plane and on a plane with the horizontally positioned back section.

11. In combination with a chair having a rectangular main frame, a padded back section and a padded seat section hingedly connected together and connected to and supported by the said frame, the back section in the rear and the seat section in the lower part thereof with the free end of each wholly disconnected from the said frame, means for substantially elevating the seat section as it is extended from its normal position to a position of substantial alinement with the back section, the free end of the seat section being swingable by means of its hinged connection from its position of alinement with the back section to a substantially vertical degree to give access to a section normally concealed by the seat section.

12. In a chair bed, a main frame, two sections, one a seat section and the other a back section, the said two sections being hingedly connected together and mounted L-shaped on the frame and operable to be unfolded and positioned on the said frame on a horizontal plane with the free edges projecting over the front and rear margins of the frame, an extensible bed section positioned underneath the seat substantially parallel therewith and having its forward end hinged to the seat at the front thereof, and operable to be swung forwardly thereof, a leg member connected to the seat and supported by the main frame for supporting the said seat in a plurality of forward positions, a supporting bearing on the main frame rearward of the center thereof, and connections between the back section and the said bearing on which the back is tiltable to a horizontal plane and moved forward by the said tilt, the said back being operable by the tilting thereof to move forward and raise the hinge between the extension and the seat and to push the latter forward of the main frame to drag forward the extension to a more accessible position for the extending operation, the said leg being extensible with the seat for supporting the front edge thereof against downward collapse from the weight of the extensible member when the latter is extended for use as a bed, and means on the main frame intermediate the front and rear for supporting the hinge between the two sections against downward collapse when the two sections are alined.

13. In a convertible chair, a main frame having a supporting bearing rearward of its center and substantially upward from its bottom plane, three bed sections, a rear section, a center section and a front section hinged together and adapted for housing within the bounds of said frame, the front section being positioned hinge outward in the bottom of the frame, the center section over the front section to conceal the latter and to form a seat for the chair, legs on the forward portion of the seat and projecting downwardly therefrom in straddling relation to the front section, the rear section being positioned vertically upward from the rear of the seat section to form a back for the chair, the latter being supported on the said bearing and being operable thereon to advance the center section and the front section and to come to rest in a horizontal plane substantially higher than that of the center section when in chair position, the hinge between the sections being operable for the said sections to be swung into alinement with each other and the legs being operable to support the front portion of the extended seat section in elevated position and in horizontal alinement with the horizontal back section, and with freedom of being swung upwardly.

JOSEPH D. BELL. 

